🎬 The Eid Box Office: 5 Southeast Asian Family Films to Watch
From nostalgic Indonesian tales to award-winning regional hits, here is your ultimate watchlist for the festive season.
📌 The Main Takeaway
The Eid holiday season 🌙 has become a premier window for family cinema across Southeast Asia 🌏. Studios are consistently releasing warm, multi-generational stories 👨👩👧👦 designed to bring audiences together.
🔍 Why It’s on Our Radar
🎬 Eid in Cinema: A Regional Tradition. Across Southeast Asia, major festive holidays—from Lebaran in Indonesia and Malaysia to Songkran in Thailand—often coincide with the release of family-oriented films. These movies typically emphasize warmth, nostalgia, and cross-generational storytelling.
Why it matters 💡: These movies emphasize warmth 💖, nostalgia 🕰️, and cross-generational storytelling 🗣️.
The local impact 📈: In Indonesia 🇮🇩, the season is fiercely competitive. Last year’s animated hit JUMBO 🐘 proved just how deeply family-friendly stories resonate with millions of viewers during the holidays ✨.
1. Na Willa 🇮🇩 (2026)
This year, Visinema Studios shifts its storytelling approach from animation to live action 📽️ with Na Willa, hitting theaters in Indonesia on March 18 🍿.
📖 A Story About Rediscovering Childhood Set in 1960s Indonesia 📻, the film follows a six-year-old girl whose imagination turns her small alley into a magical universe ✨.
The vibe 🪁: It invites adults to revisit the emotional landscape of youth, where alleys and markets become grand spaces of adventure 🗺️.
Director’s take 🎙️: “We have all been Na Willa,” says Adriandhy. “What adults may see as simple moments can feel incredibly big for children.” 💭
Directed by Ryan Adriandhy and produced by Anggia Kharisma and Novia Puspa Sari, Na Willa reflects a broader regional trend where holiday films aim to reconnect audiences with themes of family, memory, and belonging.
“We have all been Na Willa, what adults may see as simple moments can feel incredibly big for children. The longing for that childhood perspective stays with us throughout life.”, Ryan Adriandhy
2. Pelangi di Mars 🇮🇩 (2026)
Indonesia steps into new territory with this sci-fi family film 🛸, the country’s first to blend animation ✏️, live action 🎭, and Extended Reality (XR) technology 🥽.
The plot 🪐: Pelangi, the first human born on Mars, is left behind during a global water crisis 💧. She teams up with aging robots 🤖 to find a rare water-purifying mineral before an evil Earth corporation can exploit it 🏢.
The message 🌟: Beyond the CGI and sci-fi adventure, it’s a story about hope and the power of young dreams 🚀.
Behind the scenes 🎥: Director Upie Guava and Producer Dendi Reynando spent over five years ⏳ bringing this to life, hoping to inspire children and position Indonesia as a center for Asian sci-fi animation 🏆. It premieres on March 18.
Producer Dendi Reynando expressed his pride during the film’s press conference on Saturday, March 14, 2026, reflecting on the long journey behind the project.
“After more than five years of challenges, Mahakarya Pictures is incredibly proud to finally present Pelangi di Mars to the Indonesian audience. This film is a gift for the dreams of our children,” Dendi Reynando.
Director Upie Guava expressed his hopes the project will inspired more animation films in Indonesia.
“I hope we’ll see more animated movies for kids in the future. Who knows—maybe Indonesia can become a center for sci-fi animation in Asia.”, Upie Guava.
3. How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies 🇹🇭 (2024)
This massive Thai box-office hit 🎟️ follows a young man (Billkin) who quits his job to care for his grandmother 👵🏼, initially just hoping to secure her inheritance 💰.
The impact ❤️: The story evolved into a beautiful look at their complicated relationship, resonating deeply with Southeast Asian families 🫂.
The accolades 🏅: It was Thailand’s submission for the 2025 Academy Awards 🏆 and earned honors at the Gold List Awards. Catch it on Netflix 📺.
4. Lolo and The Kid 🇵🇭 (2024)
A Filipino drama on Netflix 📱 that presents a deeply emotional story about an aging hustler 👴🏽 and a young boy 🎒 navigating poverty and homelessness 🏙️.
The core conflict ⚖️: It highlights the struggles of living on society’s margins and the value of education 📚, while making viewers question the ethical lines the characters cross to survive 🛑.
The standout ⭐: Grounded by a strong performance from Joel Torre 🎭, it’s a touching look at love in messy, grey areas 🌧️.
5. Abang Adik 🇲🇾 (2023)
Malaysia’s Oscar submission 🏆 is a heartbreaking crime drama 🚨 about two undocumented, orphaned brothers 👬 struggling to survive in Kuala Lumpur’s slums 🌆.
The story 🤫: Abang (Wu Kang-ren) is a deaf and mute older brother; Adik (Jack Tan) is his rebellious younger sibling 💥. Their deep bond is tested when one must make a profound sacrifice 💔.
The bottom line 🖋️: Through raw social realism, director Jin Ong paints a powerful portrait of poverty, identity, and injustice ⛓️. Available on Netflix 📺.
Now the question is 🤔: Which of these films will you be watching with your family this Eid? 👨👩👧👦
(VIL/JN/ARS)